Dual wheel running gear and equalizer support therefor



Aug. 1, 1950 H. G. SHRIVER 2,517,359

DUAL WHEEL RUNNING GEAR AND EQUALIZER SUPPORT THEREFOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 27, 194'? ii ill. m

TTORNEY Aug. EL, 1950 1 H. G. SHRIVER 2,517,359

DUAL WHEEL RUNNING GEAR AND EQUALIZER SUPPORT THEREFOR Filed. May 27, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR figrry 6.- SbriI er Patented Aug. 1, 1950 TWITED STATES PATENT F si' -i:

DUAL LWHEEL RUNNING GEAR, AN!) EQUALIZER SUPPORT THEREFOR i v i t y r Harry G. Shriver, Wichita, Kans.

" Application May 27,1947,,SerialNo. 750,597 Claims. (01. 280-4121 This invention relates to a running gear and terminating in the outwardly directed coplanar it'is a particular object of the invention to proarms 6. i I vide a means to equalize the load on each indi- To the inner portion of each of the arms l vidual'wheel where dual wheels are used under is pivotally held y a t he ntermediate tandem trailers and in a manner to give the ei- 5 portion 8 f a fork F mp in he Suitably feet of individual wheel suspension. Spaced pa el and elongated arms 9,disposed on It is als an obje t of th i nti n t proapredetermined downward rearward ln'clineas vide an assembly of this kind wherein in the P a y ustrated in Figures 2and h: event ot tire failure, the inflatedtire of t e as- The Intermediate portion -8 or each or the so'ciated wheel will readily carry the entire load. forks F is continued an outwardly p d 1 It is also an object of the invention to provide shqrt P provlded tll an opening ll regisa gear which is so constructed as to make the termg Wlth an i g 1n the Sald m same particularly advantageous in travel over t t thrqugh the regtstel'mg openmgs rough surfaces such as fields when hauling oil, 1 or holdmg i whereby poles or the like, and in a manner wherein shock t F held against rockingmovemettt upon is materially eliminated and liability of bruising its pivot bolt Thls pivot bolt is ditposed of the tires substantially avoided. through t mm the antral par-t of the "A still further object of thetinvention is to Intermediate Patton of h t also provide a running gear which will readily comthrough regtstermg. opening mthe t The bolt I5 is provided at one extremity'with pensate for the crowntof the roadway in order to more effectively distribute the tire load. head and fitting upon its upposite extremity 1 In order that my invention may be better un- 15 holdmg nut of conventional type derstood, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in top plan of a running gear constructed in accordance with an embodiment oi the invention;

as desired, andto facilitate suchoperation, one 38 extremity of the pin I 4 carries a head in while insertable throughthe opposite end portion of the pin l4-is cotter key 2| or thelike, whereby the pin I4 is held against "accidentalremoval or displacement. r i t- Figure 2 is a VIEW in sifle elevfition the so snugly fitting betweenlthe outer 'oriree-end sttuFture as illustrated in Flgure portions of the arms 9 of each of the for'ks F- is' e r 3 is a detall sectmnal, view taken a hub sleeve 22, the bore of which-registers with 5 3 n the hue of Flgure 1? the openings 23 provided in the free extremities F u 4 is an enlarged detail sectiorfal of the arms a. Disposed throughthe hub sleeve en substantially the n of Figure 1? 85 22 and the openings 23 is an axle A'of a length Figure 5 is a enlarged detail sectional View to extend at each end a desired distance beyond taken sub an i y 0n the 11118 of Figure 1; and outwardly of the fork arm 9 and upon each and extended end of the axle A is mounted the Fi u 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectmnal ground engaging wheel W herein disclosed as of view taken substantially on the line 66 of Fig- 40 pneumatic t ure 2. Each of the sleeves 22 in its central portion is In the embodiment of the invention as illusprovided t an upstanding boss 24 having trated in the accompany n drawings, i denotes posed therethrough an opening 25 at right ana p a adapted to be effectively secured to the gles to the bore oi. the sleeve 22. Straddling the under surface of the body of a trailer or other boss 24 from above 1 a bolster 25 having 1 vehicle, and which has secured thereto by the pending arms '23 having openings 21 registering bolts 2 r t e li the duplicate sections 3 of a with the opening 25 of the boss 24. Through socket member M which is adapted to receive and these openings 21 and 25 is disposed a, pivot pin have operatively engaged therein the substan- 29, which is suitably fixed to the arms 28. The t ally p ri a ad 4 t ndin upwardly fr m bolster 26 is carried centrally of a leaf type of substantially the center of the transversely disspring S, the extremities of which carry the posed bolster 5. shackles 30 whereby the spring S may be opera- This bolster 5 as herein embodied, extends tively engaged from below with the body of a from its longitudinal center downwardly and trailer or other vehicle. slightly rearwardly on a predetermined angle and In view of the foregoing it is to be noted that The pin I4 is readily removableorinsertable operatively coupled at its central portion with the body of the vehicle by the previously described ball and socket Joint.

Normally the pins II are not in use but in the event that there is tire failure of one of the wheels of a dual set a 'pin I4 is inserted, after the necessary jacking up of the parts to bring the openings H and 12 back to alignment, to lock the fork carrying such wheel against pivotal movement about the pin l5. This will insure the inflated remaining tire carrying the entireload.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a running gear constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted-for: use: by reasonrof the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operfltedzii'z f "I 'cIaimZ; a I Vehicle; body supportin 'running ear, comprisingaibolster body. meansfor coupling the same with the underside of the vehicle body to extend transversely: of the latter, a'fork at each and ofrthe-bolster body; each fork comp-rising two spaced arms-and :a: connecting intermediate por-'; tion; means securing the intermediate portion of each fork'to the adjacent end of the bolster body, an-axlezsupported' by'and extending across be tween-.andbeyond the outer sides of the arms of each fork. adiacentito'i the end of the fork remote from the bolster body, a pair of wheels rotatably mounted on each axle with the adjacent fork arms between them, and a vehicle body supporting spring mountedupon each axle between the fork arms.

' '2. Vehicle body supporting running gear of the character stated in claim 1 'wherein the said connecting' means "between the intermediate portion of each fork and the adjacent end of the bolster body: comprises a pivot bolt-having its long axis each of: said short arms with the adjacent bolster '3: Vehiclebody supporting running gear of the character stated in claim 1 wherein the said means for coupling the bolster body with the underside of thevehicle' comprises a universal 4 coupling substantially midway between the ends of the bolster body upon the top thereof.

4. Vehicle body supporting running gear, comprising a bolster body, means forming a universal coupling between the bolster body substantially midway between the ends thereof and the under side of the vehicle body, said bolster body being formed to provide downwardly and rearwardly extending portions extending from the coupling means and each of said portions terminating in a straight laterally extending portion, a fork at each end of the bolster body, each fork comprising two spaced parallel arms and a connecting intermediate portion, the connecting intermediate portion of each fork being positioned against the rear side of the said laterally extending portion of the bolster body, each fork having a laterallyextending arm positioned against the said adjacent lateral terminal portion of the bolster body, pivot means coupling the intermediate portion of each. fork with the adjacentlaterally extending portion of the-bolster body for the turning of the fork on an axis extending longitudinally thereof between its arms, meansdetachably connecting each of, the lateralarmsofthe forks with the adjacent terminal portion of the bolster body to secure the fork against rotation, an axle extending transversely of and supported. by the arms of each fork, each axle having its ends ex: tending beyond the remote sides of the adjacent pair. of forks, a wheel rotatably supported upon the outer end of each axle, and a spring. supported upon each. axle in a vertical plane passing .be-. tween the forks and adapted for connection with the under side of the vehicle body. j

5. Vehicle body supportingrunning gear of the character described in claim 4 wherein the supporting meansfor each spring comprises asleeve' encircling the axle'betwe'en the fork arms, a bolster supported upon each sleeve for'rocking move-L ment on an axis perpendicular to the axis of the underlying axle, 'and'rneans securing the adjacent spring to the top of the axle supported b01- ster.'

' HARRY GI SHRIYER Number I Name Date l ,9l3,698 Clement" June 13; 1933 2,242,454; Cochran May 20, 19,41 2,256,594 'Ingram Sept. 23, 194 

